Brexit-Related Projects Spending

Susan Hall: How much have you spent on Brexit-related projects and how much funding is ring-fenced for future projects? Please give a breakdown of funding per project.

The Mayor: The following expenditure relates to projects managing the impacts of the UK’s decision to leave the EU:
Project
Expenditure
Allocated 2020/21
Economic forecasting impact study on Brexit scenarios.
£42,273
London Resilience Forum (funded by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government) – coordinating local resilience plans for a potential no deal Brexit.
£258,000
£200,000
(to also support additional burdens related to COVID 19 Pandemic)
Supporting EU Londoners -providing critical, translated information on settled status.
£269,809
£165,000
London, Hertfordshire and South East LEP Growth Hub Cluster
(funded by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy) – supporting SMEs to prepare for different Brexit scenarios.
£721,579

Culinary sector in London

Andrew Dismore: Have you received representations from London’s culinary sector on the current state of their industry? What was their feedback, particularly with regards to Eat Out to Help Out? Have you raised this with the Government?

The Mayor: My Deputy Mayor, Rajesh Agrawal and I have been engaging with the sector and I am aware of the difficulties faced by the culinary sector, particularly within central London, where urgent action is needed for businesses to survive.
Businesses have told us that they are struggling with business rates, reductions in footfall and revenues, and challenges relating to cash flow and payment of rents. Whilst the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme has created an increase in activity and improved consumer confidence in the sector, there are still many restaurants, cafes, bars and pubs which need ongoing support.
The industry still faces significant risks and I have written to the Government to call for an extension to the business rates holidays, a direct financial aid scheme for hospitality businesses in central London, targeted support for jobs and an extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, as well as a support scheme for SMEs struggling to meet their rent bills due to Coronavirus.

Directing Refusal

Shaun Bailey: How many schemes have you directed refusal since 2016 and please provide list of them?

The Mayor: All directions to refuse are published on the website at https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/planning/planning-applications-and-decisions/direction-refuse-applications-0
There have been 11 directions to refuse issued since 2016:
Flamingo park - inappropriate development in the green belt; revised scheme addressing concerns approved.
Hasmonean High School - loss of open space and inappropriate development in the green belt. Lack of sustainable transport measures.
Howbury Park - inappropriate development in the green belt.
Grahame Park Estate - significant reduction in social-rented housing; redesign resulting in no loss of social floorspace.
Harrow School - inappropriate development in metropolitan land; scheme granted planning permission on appeal.
Berkley Hotel - lack of affordable housing addressed by revisions.
191 Old Marylebone Road - highway safety and urban greening; scheme refused planning permission on appeal.
Conington Road - lack of affordable housing and inadequate viability review mechanisms; scheme granted planning permission on appeal.
Land and 20 Bury Street (The Tulip) - poor standard of design damaging to the Tower of London World Heritage site and poor unwelcoming pedestrian environment; applicant appealed and public inquiry to be held.
Durston House School - unacceptable loss of playing fields and protected open space.
Heythrop College - lack of affordable housing and inadequate provision in the s106 planning agreement to secure review mechanisms and affordability; scheme granted planning permission on appeal.

Evacuation steering group (3)

Andrew Dismore: What preparation is LFB making for the eventuality that its high-rise firefighting policies currently in development are contrary to the findings of the evacuation steering group?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) has been very clear that the High Rise Firefighting Policy, agreed by the London Fire Commissioner in February 2020, is a live document and, as such, open to ongoing challenge, review and change if required and justified. However, if LFB’s policy did not adhere to the National Fire Chiefs Council’s guidance, there would be opportunity to change and adapt the policy in a formal consultation process. The London Fire Commissioner wrote to the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the Home Office in February 2020 where he sought their views on the policy and whether there were any additional measures or options that had not been considered.

Work of the Violence Suppression Units (VSUs) (3)

Siân Berry: Thank you for your answer to my question 2020/1641. How many of the 1,000 people have now been contacted, and how many have taken up the offer of diversionary support?

The Mayor: On completion of the operation, 759 visits were completed in total. Not all 1,000 people were visited as some had moved house or their circumstances had changed. A total of 82 individuals expressed an interest in diversionary support and are continuing to work with Police and partners.

Fire safety in schools (1)

Andrew Dismore: What representations have you made to ministers and officials to ensure that the consultation on BB100 (fire safety in schools) is complete and in force before the £1.7 billion new schools fund begins constructing new buildings?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) has a clear, published position statement on Automatic Fire Suppression Systems (AFSS) and officers have made numerous representations to the Schools Minister and departmental officials regarding Building Bulletin 100 (BB100), as well as responding to the consultations and calls for evidence issued in 2016 and 2019. LFB will respond to the next the consultation once it is released and are in contact with the All Party Parliamentary Group for Fire Safety and Rescue, who are calling on the Government to release the consultation as soon as possible.

Living Wage Employers

Shaun Bailey: What have you done to increase the number of living wage employers in London since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic?

The Mayor: The pandemic has exposed the deep inequalities in our economy. I am continuing to promote my Good Work Standard to employers, which is built around fair pay as a fundamental principle - Living Wage accreditation is a requirement of accreditation.
12 employers have become Good Work Standard-accredited since March, demonstrating their commitment to doing the right thing by their employees during this challenging time, and bringing the total to 83. Over 160 employers in London have become Living Wage accredited since March 2020, in sectors as diverse as tech, care, culture, finance, construction and hospitality.
My teams are supporting the Living Wage Foundation with its preparations for Living Wage Week in November and continue to work closely with them to identify and support employers to pay the London Living Wage.

Inner and Outer London High Streets and Covid-19

Shaun Bailey: How are you supporting inner and outer London high streets when it comes to the different challenges they face as a result of Covid-19?

The Mayor: High streets across London are facing different challenges. Central London faces a ‘perfect storm’:a reduction in office workers, a sharp slowdown in tourismand changes to how Londoners spend their leisure time. I have repeatedly lobbied the Government for targetedsupport for the CAZ, including the extension of the business rates holiday to next year, and to extend the furlough scheme for the worst affected sectors.
TfL’s Streetspace is helping Londoners back to high streets by maximising capacity for cycling and walking, helping Londoners return safely to local high streets as well as those in central London. My business support programmes, including Pay It Forward London and my Culture at Risk fund, are accessible to businesses across inner and outer London.
The High Street Reopening Coordination Group continues to address challenges across London high streets and the Recovery Board, which I co-chairwith Cllr Peter John, is supporting thelong-termrecovery ofLondon’s high streets.

High rise firefighting operational limits

Andrew Dismore: Will you publish your correspondence with the Health and Safety Executive and Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience, regarding the safety of high-rise firefighting operations in the current built environment in London?

The Mayor: Neither I nor the Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience have had correspondence with the Health and Safety Executive regarding the safety of high-rise firefighting operations in the current built environment in London or any related matter.

Evacuation alert systems

Andrew Dismore: Have any prototypes or actual equipment relating to whole-building evacuation alert systems been delivered to LFB or NFCC?

The Mayor: While officers have contributed to the development of standards e.g. BS 8629 (Evacuation Alert Systems) and are feeding in nationally to the development of training for officers around such systems, the supply and installation of such systems is a matter for industry and Responsible Persons.
These systems are not yet a requirement under Building Regulations in England and Wales. London Fire Brigade (LFB) is aware of working prototypes and close working between system providers and secure box providers. LFB officers have also been involved in the initiation and drafting of the BAFE SP207 Emergency Evacuation Systems Scheme Consultation industrythird party certification standard to ensure installed systems meet the BS 8629 specifications.

Helicopters (2)

Andrew Boff: What are the criteria for the use of Police helicopters in the early hours of the morning?

The Mayor: The decision to request air support is based on a number of factors. Chief amongst these is the threat, risk and harm that is assessed to exist at the time: be that to officers, to an existing victim or suspect, or the wider public. It must also be determined by trained call handlers to be a viable task; that is to say, the aircraft must be able to provide a tangible service. If the aircraft is called to look for a missing person who may or may not have been in the area several hours ago, for example, this would likely be deemed a non-viable task.
The aircraft provides different a different tactical option to officers on the ground. In a high-speed pursuit, for example, the aircraft can follow a vehicle almost anywhere at speed, removing the need for a police vehicle to also follow behind at speed, in turn reducing the risk to the cars’ passengers and the public. There are many examples of jobs such as these where the helicopter can add significant value without being intrusive. What is not taken into account in the pre-deployment assessment is the hour of the day at which the need arises.
The Metropolitan Police Service’s (MPS) resources are deployed according to risk and viability around the clock, seven days a week, with the objective of achieving the best outcome for the victim, suspect and wider public. Unfortunately, this will result in deployments during the early hours of the morning. MPS records for air support show during the hours between 2am – 6am, it experiences the lowest demand and there are relatively few calls compared to the rest of the day.

Medcity Funding

Susan Hall: How much funding have you given to MedCity since the start of your Mayoralty? Please give a breakdown by year.

The Mayor: Since the start of my Mayoralty, MedCity has received grant funding as outlined below by financial year:
2016/17 - £400,000 (grant funding awarded before commencement of my Mayoralty)
2017/18 - £500,000
2018/19 - £375,000
2019/20 - £295,000
2020/21 - £200,000 (not fully disbursed, as grant funding is paid quarterly)

Medtech London Funding

Susan Hall: How much funding have you given to Medtech London? Please give a breakdown by year.

The Mayor: Since the start of my Mayoralty, MedTech London (run by the South East Health Technologies Alliance) has received grant funding as outlined below by financial year. Funding for MedTech London ended in 2019.
2015/16 - £50,000 (grant funding awarded before commencement of my Mayoralty)
2016/17 - No additional funding
2017/18 - £24,500
2018/19 - £30,000

Forced Marriage (2)

Susan Hall: Please advise as to how much training to combat forced marriage is currently taking place within the police force in London.

The Mayor: All new recruits receive guidance on how to identify and respond to those at risk of Honour Based Abuse (HBA) including Forced Marriage.
During Community Safety Unit week new DCs receive training on how to investigate Forced Marriage and Honour Based Abuse offences applying appropriate strategies, interventions and risk assessments.
PCSOs receive an input to provide an awareness of possible indicators/risks of this offence and guidance around notification processes.
First Contact and Despatch Officers receive guidance with the aim to identify possible indicators of Forced Marriage at the earliest opportunity, to recognise the offences and provide an appropriate initial police response.
More specialist training on Forced Marriage is delivered via the Advanced Safeguarding Course which is designed for DSs and DCs on Safeguarding Investigations Teams. These courses deliver learning outcomes based on the learning outcomes from College of Policing curriculum, covering Domestic Abuse, Forced Marriage, Honour Based Abuse and FGM.

Day 6 and 7 arrangements with LAS

Andrew Dismore: Will firefighters driving ambulances under the day 6 and 7 arrangements be employed by LAS for that time or through another method?

The Mayor: A bi-lateral agreement between the London Fire Brigade (LFB) and London Ambulance Service will provide firefighters on days 6 and 7 of their shift pattern under a short-term secondment arrangement which is similar to the relationship with Babcock training. These staff members will continue to be employed by LFB and identifiable as LFB employees.

Extended duration breathing apparatus drills (4)

Andrew Dismore: What consideration has been given to the physiological impact of using EDBA on firefighters arising from the EDBA drills?

The Mayor: The testing carried out in July 2020 indicated that the physiological limitations of firefighters plays a significant role in the ability of wearers to travel extensive distances when wearing breathing apparatus, particularly climbing stairs. This supports the 2004 Building Disaster Advisory Group (BDAG) report conclusions. As a result of this testing, London Fire Brigade is investigating commissioning further work with an academic institution in order to understand the impact of firefighter physiology on high rise travel distances in further detail.
The Urban Firefighting and Rescue Course is part of phase three of the training plan for the high-rise policies. This course is currently in the planning stage. Due to the necessity to use a real fire training venue that can allow the products of a fire to be safely dispersed, a venue needs to be sought outside London. Work is taking place to establish a suitable venue, instructors and costings. This work will continue throughout the first two training phases for the high-rise policies.

London Co-Investment Fund (LCIF)

Susan Hall: How much of this £85m fund has been spent to date? How much money remains in the fund? Has any of this funding been reallocated to other projects, and if so how much?

The Mayor: In March 2019, the fund reached its investment target and the funds were fully deployed, covering investments in 150 London based start-ups. As at 31 March 2020 the portfolio book value was £10.2m above cost.
The LEAP Board agreed in June 2019 that any returns generated from exits of the LCIF companies would be recycled as follow on investments in the existing LCIF companies until 2023. Currently funds for reinvestments stand at just over £1m. Should returns reach £10m in total, this will trigger a decision as to whether returns should continue to be redeployed in the portfolio.

Culture change plan

Andrew Dismore: When will LFB publish their culture change plan?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) approach to culture change is to use multiple levers to change the culture of the organisation, and therefore there is no standalone plan. Instead, there are a series of other work streams and teams already referenced in the Transformation Delivery Plan, the HMICFRS report and the Grenfell Tower Improvement Plan. These work streams include leadership development, employee engagement and recognition, diversity and inclusion and performance and talent.
The Cultural Change Team consists of the Inclusion Team, the Leadership Development Team and theEmployee Engagement and Recognition Team, who collectively are responsible for leading cultural change across the organisation. The team also works across the organisation, to identify and resolve potential issues with LFB’s culture that may arise.

Filling LFB junior officer roles (1)

Andrew Dismore: In each round of promotions to leading firefighter, sub officer, and station officer since 2016, how many applicants were there for each category of officer, and how many available places?

The Mayor: Station Officer
Due to the Role to Rank process a ring-fenced group of 170 staff was created in September 2017 to fill Station Officer vacancies from that date forward
Completion date of process
September 2020
Available places on completion
10
Total Applicants
117
Joint Station Officer/Sub Officer
Since 2016, London Fire Brigade no longer hold joint rounds for this particular role.
Completion date of process
January 2016
Available places on completion
115
Total applicants
291
Sub Officer
In 2017 there were enough applicants on the recruitment panel from 2016 to fill Sub Officer roles and therefore a new recruitment round wasn’t necessary that year. Following the completion of a promotion process a panel is usually created which can then be used to fill vacancies arising until the next promotion process i.e. successful candidates who do not secure a promotion immediately.
In July 2019 the application process included an external transferee process.
Completion date of process
November 2016
May 2018
July 2019
Available places on completion
110
116
42
Total Applicants
119
283
270
Leading Firefighter
In February 2016, the application process included an external transferee process.
Completion date of process
February 2016
February 2017
March 2019
September 2019
Available places on completion
93
36
226
129
Total Applicants
370
227
270
177

Good Work Standard Review

Shaun Bailey: How and when will you be reviewing your Good Work Standard in response to changes to the workplace due to the Covid-19 pandemic?

The Mayor: The Pandemic has brought forward new challenges for employers. This includes a step-change in home working, and powerful reminders of the importance of health and safety in the workplace, worker voice and the role that employers play in supporting the mental wellbeing of employees.
The core elements of my Good Work Standard are more relevant than ever - fair pay and contracts, a focus on wellbeing, flexible working, worker voice, championing diverse workplaces and investing in the skills of the workforce and supporting young people to enter the workforce.
As we come to understand the longer-term impact on Londoner’s working lives my officers will work with employers, unions, HR professionals and colleagues in other city regions to understand and promote best practice, to consider if changes are needed to the Good Work Standard and to develop additional guidance as needed.
During the crisis London’s Growth Hub has hosted information for employers on homeworking including collaboration tools and managing physical and mental health.

Value for money in LFB contracts

Andrew Dismore: Have any contract specific remedial action plans been initiated following the review of the Brigade’s contracts?

The Mayor: To date there have been no contract specific remedial action plans initiated as most contract management issues are resolved via business as usual processes. The definition of contract specific actions is as follows:
“In most cases, London Fire Brigade’s organisational arrangements will resolve contract management issues via business as usual processes. However, contract specific remedial action plans will be developed on a case-by-case basis where required. Specifically, the purpose of these plans will be to address major issues in contract effectiveness or value for money which have not been resolved via the business as usual processes (other action plans) within the management of the contract. The contract specific remedial action plans will include performance and risk issues that have been escalated to the Assistant Director Technical & Commercial for resolution via focused discussion with a director of the particular supplier.”

Furloughed Space Loans Scheme

Leonie Cooper: What are the Mayor’s views on the Furloughed Space Loans Scheme proposed by the British Property Federation and British Retail Consortium? https://transactions.freshfields.com/post/102g5jo/covid-19-and-the-uk-commercial-property-industry-the-furloughed-space-grant-sche

The Mayor: The British Property Federation and British Retail Consortium have put forward a pragmatic solution to the crisis facing the commercial rented sector.
I have also repeatedly urged the Government to get a handle on this issue, recently writing to the Prime Minister calling for a support scheme for small and medium-sized businesses that are struggling to meet their rent bills due to coronavirus. According to Remit Consulting, commercial tenants in the UK have withheld £1.5bn in rent payments per quarter and retailers have only paid half of the rent due since March this year. It is clear that the Government’s Code of Conduct for Commercial Property Relationships and Lease Forfeiture Moratorium are failing to address the underlying problems facing a great number of businesses in the capital and fiscal measures are urgently needed.

Supporting the West End

Tony Devenish: Will you commit to supporting the initiatives to boost confidence and increase footfall in the West End which were outlined in Leader of Westminster Council, Cllr Rachael Robathan’s recent letter to Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick?

The Mayor: TheWest Endisan economic powerhouse and vital to London’s global position,yetit faces serious challenges due to coronavirus.
I am working on London’s recovery from the pandemic, including protecting everything central London has to offer. This includes relaunching my London Is Open campaign, supporting‘Because I’m a Londoner’to build consumer confidence and introducing an unprecedented range of safety and hygiene measures across the TfL network to give people confidence to travel into central London.
But no amount of public confidence messaging will return pre-pandemic levels of footfall to central London while coronavirus remains a threat. The CAZ needs targeted, financial and fiscal support from Government.I have written to the Prime Minister with proposals whichincludes many points in Cllr Rachael Robathan’sletter.I continue to discuss these issues with the Secretary of State for MHCLG during the London Transition Board meetings, which we both Chair.

Support for Beirut

Andrew Dismore: What aid has LFB provided to the people of Beirut following the tragic explosion in that city on 4 August, and will funding for this come from national Government?

The Mayor: The United Kingdom International Search and Rescue (UK-ISAR) team was given notice to deploy a medium size USAR team of 47 in response to a request for assist from the Lebanese Government. London Fire Brigade identified a team of five rescuers and five logisticians to commit to the wider UK-ISAR Team. One further LFB employee was identified to join a Department for International Development assessment team. The offer of assistance from the UK was not taken up and the team was stood down on 5 August. No costs were incurred by LFB.

Fire safety in schools (2)

Andrew Dismore: What representations have you made to ministers and officials to ensure that fire safety in schools includes the provision of sprinklers in all new buildings?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) Officers have consistently campaigned over many years on matters relating to Building Bulletin 100 (BB100), particularly with regards to sprinklers. Historic and recent work includes making representations to the responsible Minister and departmental officials, working with via the All Party Parliamentary Group for Fire Safety and Rescue and participating in wider stakeholder groups such as the ‘School Sprinkler Stakeholder Coalition’. LFB Officers have also raised concerns about the use of ‘loopholes’ by those developers building schools, who seek to use ‘engineered solutions’ to avoid fitting Automatic Fire Suppression Systems (AFSS) such as sprinklers

King’s ICU fire safety concerns (1)

Andrew Dismore: How many notices or other items of correspondence about fire safety did LFB issue to King’s College NHS Trust before the emergency closure of its ICU on 22 July 2020?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade has directly corresponded with Kings College Hospital on various fire safety issues sixteen times since October 2013. Five of these were notification of deficiencies following a fire safety audit, and ten of these requests were for fire safety advice. This includes an invitation on 2nd July 2020 to offer advice to King’s College Hospital’s Fire Safety Officer regarding information recently passed to the Trust from their contractors regarding potential issues with cavity barriers, which led to their decision to close their ICU.

Payment to self-isolate (2)

Onkar Sahota: Are you lobbying the Government to extend the payment to self-isolate scheme to all regions at all times, rather than only those areas under enhanced restrictions?

The Mayor: I wrote to the government last month before their announcement of a payment for people self-isolating in highest risk areas. I called on the Government to put in place comprehensive financial support for workers who are required to self-isolate and the businesses that employ them. I welcome the recent announcement as a recognition of the problem, but it does not go far enough and will leave many without sufficient financial support.
This support shouldn’t only be available to those areas under enhanced restrictions. Whilst I recognise that statutory sick pay (SSP) is available to some who are self-isolating, far too many Londoners are falling through the gaps or are unable to make ends meet. We cannot be in a situation where Londoners are forced into financial hardship for following public health advice and keeping their community safe. Once again, the UK is falling behind the rest of the world. In Germany, for example, workers are supported to isolate with payments for the first six-weeks equivalent to their net-wage.

London & Partners GLA Funding

Susan Hall: How does the £13.6m of GLA funding for London & Partners represent value for money for London at a time where Londoners are facing economic hardship as a result of the covid-19 pandemic?

The Mayor: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic London & Partners took rapid action and played an important role supporting London businesses, particularly in the leisure, retail and hospitality sectors.
London & Partners (L&P) have launched a city-wide, industry-backed campaign to build consumer confidence and encourage consumer spending for London’s businesses. They created a specific cohort in their Business Growth Programme for tourism start-ups to help them to develop and grow. L&P also promoted virtual activities for London’s tourism businesses to help give them greater audience reach and keep them front of mind when visitors can fully return.
L&P are continuing to bring international investors to London and since April they have secured 40 investments, generating over £23 million Gross Value Added (GVA) and creating 598 jobs. L&P have also adapted their international trade missions to run virtually, generating almost £18 million in GVA between April and June and working with their business partners to deliver a free series of expert webinars on how businesses can manage the crisis.

Supporting Curry Houses in London

Murad Qureshi: Like the rest of the restaurant trade, curry houses in London have been hit by the COVID19 crisis and in particularly it supports some of the most vulnerable communities to the virus. What support can the curry houses of London expect from you during the economic recovery of London’s small businesses.

The Mayor: Curry houses are a vibrant part of the London economy and, like thousands of restaurants across the city, they have been significantly impacted by the pandemic.
I have increased funding to my London Growth Hub, through which businesses can access business support, including one-to-one advice from an adviser. My Pay it Forward London Crowdfunder platform has enabled Londoners to support their favourite small businesses, raising over £500,00 by supporters for over 260 small businesses. I have recently created a £1m match fund to provide further support up to £5,000 for participating businesses.
Despite these efforts, what the hospitality sector needs desperately is targeted, support from Government. I have lobbied Government that it must include confirming an extension to the business rates holiday which is due to end in March, an extension to the furlough scheme and creating a direct financial aid scheme for hospitality, retail, leisure and cultural businesses in the central London zone.

Footfall in the Central Activities Zone

Leonie Cooper: How has footfall in the Central Activities Zone changed since the start of the pandemic and are there signs that footfall is now increasing in this area?

The Mayor: My officers have been monitoring footfall and busyness across London during the pandemic and continue to do so. Not all the data is publicly available and is provided to the GLA confidentially to help manage the response to the pandemic.
In late March and early April, footfall in Central London was down more than 90% on average. In August, footfall was down approximately 60% on average. The New West End Company have recently publicly said the footfall London’s West End was 63% down on 2019 levels.
Although footfall has been increasing since the start of the pandemic, there is still a significant amount of work to do to both support businesses in the Central Activities Zone, as well as safely return the area to its pre-Covid-19 footfall levels.

Economic Impact of Covid-19 on the Central Activities Zone

Leonie Cooper: What specific economic challenges does the Central Activities Zone face as compared to the rest of London and what work have you and GLA teams carried out to assess the specific challenges faced by this sector?

The Mayor: London’sCentral ActivitiesZone faces a ‘perfect storm’:a reduction in office workers, a sharp slowdown in tourismand changes to how Londoners spend their leisure time. This has had a devastating effect on businesses and cultural institutions.
I am commissioning a major piece of research into the future of central London and the Canary Wharf area, which have both suffered a sudden and rapid reduction in footfall due to the pandemic. No one can be certain what the new normal for global city centres will be and this will provide evidence to plan for future scenarios and best protect London’s economy and global competitiveness.
The London Transition Board continues to discuss the challenges facing the CAZ. I have repeatedly lobbied that the CAZ needs targeted support from Government. City Hall research shows the biggest barrier to economic recovery is fear of infection, meaning no amount of work will quickly return pre-pandemic levels of footfall and this is likely to remain the case for some time.

Vision for Tourism Review

Shaun Bailey: How and when will you be reviewing your Vision for Tourism in response to the challenges to the tourism sector caused by Covid-19 pandemic?

The Mayor: London & Partners (L&P), my trade, investment and promotion agency for London, acted immediately after the impact of COVID-19 to review how they would support the tourism sector, as part of an exercise to fully re-plan their year’s activity. Given the immediate and severe nature of the challenge, the focus has been on practical changes to protect the industry. There has been no immediate plan to review the Tourism Vision.
L&P have sought to help the tourism sector remain resilient by providing access to market data and insights to help businesses understand and manage this challenging context. Recognising the serious and ongoing constraints on international travel, they have acted swiftly to convene an Alliance of London businesses and others to run the ‘Because I’m a Londoner’ campaign to encourage Londoners to safely enjoy their city’s retail and hospitality offer.

Payment to self-isolate (1)

Onkar Sahota: Do you agree that the Government’s proposal for a £13 per day payment to low-waged workers self-isolating because of coronavirus is insufficient and should be raised to a liveable level?

The Mayor: The Government offer of £13 a day is far too little for those who stand to lose their entire source of income because they do the right thing and self-isolate. Nobody who has to self-isolate should be pushed into financial hardship.
I wrote to the Chancellor and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care in August to call for adequate financial support for those who are required to self-isolate as this is crucial to the control of the pandemic and ensuring that the virus isn’t spread.
We need to remove all barriers to engaging with the track and trace system and self-isolation requirements. I will continue to call on the Government for comprehensive financial support at a liveable level.

Revival of Hospitality Sector

Navin Shah: Statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that the UK has entered its deepest recession since records began and hospitality has been the hardest hit sector. It was reported that 22,000 jobs across the restaurant sector had been lost so far in 2020. The losses are nearly double the amount shed during the whole of 2019, with experts fearing that the worst is yet to come. What can you do in the short and long term to revive this sector in London?

The Mayor: Businesses across London are facing unprecedented challenges, with those in the hospitality industry particularly hard hit.
At the start of the pandemic, I launched my Pay-it-Forward London platform to enable Londoners to support their favourite small businesses and over £500,000 has been raised by supporters for over 260 small businesses. I also launched a Back to Business Fund to offer £1m in match funding to enable businesses to stay afloat, rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID. I have supported London and Partners ‘ #becauseiamalondoner’ campaign which aims to boost consumer confidence.
Despite these efforts, what the sector needs desperately is targeted support from Government. This must include an extension to the business rates holiday, an extension to the furlough scheme and creating a direct financial aid scheme for hospitality, retail, leisure and cultural businesses in the central London zone.

Business Advisory Board Pandemic Response

Shaun Bailey: How is the Mayor’s Business Advisory Board responding to London’s economic challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic?

The Mayor: Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic,my Business Advisory Board has been involved in City Hall’s response to London’s economic challenges and recovery work. The Board met virtually in July to discuss these challenges, our responses and economic recovery. Members’ have contributed in a number of ways from sharing insight and research on Covid-19 economic scenarios and its impact on London and Londoners to giving advice on a range of issues, including supporting the cultural, creative sector and the night-time economy and how to ensure diversity is embedded in all strands of recovery work, such as supporting women back to work. Members have also participated in joint roundtable with the government sharing practical ideas for the capital’s economic recovery.

Why are London Office workers slow to return to their Offices?

Murad Qureshi: In a recent Morgan Stanley survey, it was found only a third of office workers in London have returned to their desks while in Paris it is over 80 per cent. Why do you think this is so and what measures do we need to get office workers to return to their Central London offices?

The Mayor: The health and economic crises caused by coronavirus are interlinked and cannot be separated. As long as social distancing rules are in place, there is a limit to how many people can safely return to workplaces. I have cautioned the Government against berating people to return to central London as it is a counterproductive approach. Londoners aren’t stupid – they read about the rising number of cases across Europe and predictions about a second wave in the UK.
I am commissioning in-depth research into the dynamic in Central London, commencing with a survey of London businesses to understand what ‘back to work’ looks like in Central London. The survey will investigate how many people can be expected to return with the social distancing rules currently in place and what business longer term plans are. The research will inform a range of operational and strategic planning activities across the GLA group.

Visas Denied for Social Care Workers

Navin Shah: Under the new points-based immigration system coming into effect from 1st January, social workers will be excluded from post-Brexit health visa. With more than 100,000 care vacancies in the social care sector in England what impact will this have on patient care in London and how can this be overcome?

The Mayor: The shortages in London’s social care workforce - the highest vacancy rate in England - can only be addressed if the Government properly funds this vital sector that so many vulnerable Londoners rely on.
The government’s restrictive immigration policy is not helping. The “Health and Care Visa” scheme has recently been extended to include eligible persons working in the social care sector. However, this faster, lower cost option within the “Skilled Worker Visa” route does not go far enough to meet the needs of the health and social care workforce.
Some roles will be completely excluded by the minimum income requirements of this route, or because they do not require qualifications higher than RQF3 (A Level equivalent).
For example, Caring and Personal Services jobs would not qualify for the points-based system, because these roles are defined by the Government as falling below RQF3.

Government Safer Streets scheme (1)

Andrew Dismore: MOPAC put forward 3 bids to the Government Safer Streets scheme and was successful in just one of them. What was a) the process and b) criteria applied by MOPAC in deciding which bids to put forward?

The Mayor: MOPAC identified 6 boroughs which fulfilled the criteria set by the Home Office for the Safer Streets Fund. The approach was developed in conjunction with London Councils following a Home Office briefing session delivered in January 2020.
The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime (DMPC) wrote to the Heads of Community Safety of the 6 boroughs and asked them to submit their applications to MOPAC. MOPAC’s Evidence and Insight team, the Head of Operational Oversight and DMPC reviewed the applications and the three strongest were then submitted to the Safer Streets Fund.

Cottages behind West Hampstead fire station

Andrew Dismore: What progress is being made with the refurbishment of the cottages behind West Hampstead fire station?

The Mayor: The programme to refurbish the cottages has experienced delays due to Covid-19, particularly with regard to the installation and commissioning of utilities. The completion of the construction work is expected in early October 2020.

London Fire Brigade employee travel plan

Caroline Russell: Does the London Fire Brigade (LFB) have an employee travel plan, and have surveys been conducted into the modes of transport used by firefighters and staff to commute to work? If so, could details of this plan, including any targets and measures taken to reduce car commuting be provided, alongside any data held on employee commuting mode share collected over the past three years?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade’s (LFB) last travel survey was undertaken in June 2017, the next survey is due in June 2021. Staff travel modes for commuting, based on the 2017 survey sample, are set out in the table below. A performance indicator on commuting is planned following the next survey when a baseline can be established.
All staff
FRS
Control
Firefighters (not flexi duty)
Firefighters (Flexi-duty)
Public Transport
31.5%
65.9%
15.2%
12.4%
0%
Car
48.4%
20.4%
84.8%*
58.9%
98.4%
Motorbike
5.4%
2.2%
0%
8.9%
0%
Cycle
10.8%
7.7%
0%
15.1%
1.6%
Walk
2.3%
2.8%
0%
2.4%
0%
Other
1.5%
0.9%
0%
2.2%
0%
Total
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
* The staff survey on transport had 869 respondents which is approximately 15% of staff. Of those commuting by car, 24 Control staff provided a reason for their choice as well as 268 fire fighters. The survey data indicates that staff commute by car as it is considered the quickest (Control: 62.5% , FFs non flexi: 30.2%), and cheapest (Control: 12.5%, FFs non-flexi: 30.6%) mode of transport, with distance also a significant factor for fire fighters (19.8%). Significantly FRS staff tend to live closer to work, with 50% of control staff and 48.7% fire fighters living more than 30 miles from work. Standby requirements were not identified as a factor in travel choices.

Criminal exploitation

Tony Devenish: Does the MPS provide training to all police officers on criminal exploitation?

The Mayor: The MPS provides a range of training to police officers at recruitment and development stages of their career on awareness and identification of children and young people who are victims of sexual and criminal exploitation, including county lines. Identifying modern slavery and trafficking at the earliest stages also forms part of mandatory training, to recognise the main indicators and to enable officers to understand the role of specialist departments and partners in supporting victims and detecting offenders.
First contact 999/101, Dispatch Officers and Police Community Support Officers are also trained on how to identify the early indicators of risk around exploitation, to enable them to both recognise the offences and provide an appropriate initial Police response.

Medcity Pandemic Collaboration

Andrew Boff: How have you collaborated with Medcity to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic?

The Mayor: My Officers and I have been in regular communication with MedCity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MedCity has adapted quickly to support the efforts to control the pandemic. They have been involved in increasing university lab testing capacity to respond to the national demand.
In April 2020, MedCity established the London Testing Alliance, now called the London Covid-19 Alliance. The Alliance is a coordinated network of universities and institutions – including King’s College London, Imperial College London, UCL and Queen Mary University of London.
In order to ensure a partnership-led response to the pandemic, I have personally involved MedCity in meetings with Government and agencies in London. The GLA is also in communication with the London Covid-19 Alliance on an ongoing basis.

The Mayor's Civic Innovation Challenge Spending

Susan Hall: How much has been spent on the Mayor’s Civic Innovation Challenge to date and how much funding remains? Please give a breakdown of projects which have been awarded funds.

The Mayor: Since theCivic Innovation Challenge programme began in 2018,£150,000 has been spent from LEAP funds on the delivery of the programme.The programme leveraged match funding from partner organisations to meet the costs of the funding awards, enabling the delivery of seven£15,000 grants in the 2018 pilot and two£40,000 contracts in the 2019 round.There is currently no further funding provision envisioned for the programme for the 2020/2021 financial year.
The projects which have been awarded funds include:

Firefighter pension discrimination remedy

Andrew Dismore: What impact does LFB predict on its finances from the proposals set out in the Government’s consultation document on remedying the unlawful discrimination in firefighter pensions, following the FBU’s court victory in 2019?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade is working with its pensions’ administrator, LPP, and the Local Government Association’s pension adviser on the response to the consultation and preparations for the implementation of the final remedy from the pensions’ discrimination case. Part of this work involves understanding the potential financial implications, but this work is not yet complete, and a key part of this is the extent to which the costs are to be met by central government.

Public order LFB attendances

Andrew Dismore: How many public order incidents, or incidents requiring a public order response, has LFB attended since the beginning of March 2020, and for the equivalent period in 2019?

The Mayor: No such incidents were attended during either time period.

Helicopters (1)

Andrew Boff: What has lead to the apparent increase in the use of Police helicopters?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has not recorded an increase in the use of police helicopters. In fact, in 2019, the last full year for which we hold records, there were fewer calls for air support than in 2018. The number of calls attended by a helicopter has dropped off drastically since 2015 from well over 8,000 per year to closer to 3,000 a year now.
There has been an increase in the volume of protests that have been held over 2019 and during 2020. The helicopter is often used to monitor protests as its live downlink assists the command team in seeing where groups of people are, where they may be moving to, what strategic routes (if any) are blocked and in providing a view of any problem elements within the crowd. With an increase in protest, it is possible that it may seem as though the helicopter is around in central London more often, but it is certainly not the case that overall, the helicopters are being used more than usual.

Maternity pay for furloughed workers

Jennette Arnold: Are you concerned by reports that people who have been pregnant during the pandemic may have been wrongly sent home on sick pay, taking them below the threshold for Statutory Maternity Pay?

The Mayor: I am concerned. These reports suggest that pregnant workers being sent home on sick pay when they were entitled to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. It is important that families are properly supported at this difficult time.
I am supporting workers through my Employment Rights Hub, signposting Londoners to expert advice services such as Maternity Action and Working Families. Together with Maternity Action we created three videos during the crisis about pregnancy, employment rights and income, to support workers to be aware of their rights.

London Fire Brigade

Tony Devenish: Does the Mayor support calls by the National Fire Chiefs Council and Lord Greenhalgh for body-worn cameras to be made available to every fire fighter?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) sees the benefit in the use of cameras such as those that can be worn on the body to record and capture incident commanders making decisions, and their rationale at either major incidents or incidents of significance. Revisions to PN 828 ‘Recording decisions at incidents’ including the use of body worn video is currently being considered internally in the LFB. It is anticipated that when the new generation of command units enter service, their on-board cameras will also take on this role. Other video or camera recording facilities to enhance situational awareness on the incident ground currently in use include the LFB Drone, 9eye and the new generation of aerial appliances that are equipped with on-board cameras. As the capability is developed it will be reviewed and enhanced accordingly.

Bookable 'space to work'

Susan Hall: At MQT in July, you mentioned you were working with councils to deliver bookable space to work for Londoners. Can you provide more information on this work, what is being delivered, where - and any associated costs?

The Mayor: During the COVID period my teams have been engaging with shared workspace operators to understand the effects of the pandemic on the sector. As a result of this engagement, I am developing a range of actions and schemes that will help the sector. Through the High Streets for All mission recovery work and in partnership with London boroughs, I will look at how we ensure there are a range of productive and accessible uses in our town centres and on our high streets. Part of this focus will look at the provision of workspace and whether there are opportunities for coordination.
In June I also launched a programme that advises workspaces on topics such as how to adapt their spaces for social distancing requirements and how to ensure they can open securely.

Breathing apparatus data review

Andrew Dismore: What was the conclusion of LFB’s review of the effectiveness of extended duration breathing apparatus in high rise fires?

The Mayor: The report details work undertaken by London Fire Brigade’s internal investigation team to determine the extent to which Extended Duration Breathing Apparatus (EDBA) may have proved more effective than Standard Duration Breathing Apparatus (SDBA) during the Grenfell Tower fire, from the data available. The report uses an analysis of SDBA and EDBA wearer breathing rates on the night of the fire.
The report concluded that the theory that the wearer of an EDBA set would be able to reach a greater height than those wearing SDBA is not borne out by the data derived from the fire. This data demonstrates that EDBA wearers breathed more air than SDBA wearers over the same distance, negating the benefit of the additional air capacity of the EDBA set and, as a consequence, the use of EDBA over SDBA was, from a practical point of view, largely limited by the wearer’s breathing rates and provided no significant advantage over SDBA.